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If the pill you've been taking has been helping you, but it's really made of sugar, would you want to know? Those and other thrilling ethical questions await in our discussion of the placebo effect. Show notes

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I thought it was a great show. A young woman was shot outside a local pub only a block from my house because she got between an angry guy with a gun and someone he was mad at. Canadians tend to think we don't have the same problem with guns as the US but I think that woman's parents would disagee. I love Sawbones. Keep up the good work.

I absolutely HATE it when comedy programs go political. I even agree with you on the politics, but it just ruins what is supposed to be a time to "have a little fun"...."can't ya just do that?"...apparently not. Sawbones was an escape from the world for a time when we could just laugh at the old-timey people and feel lucky that we live now. Was. Now I'll just be waiting for the next intrusion of politics. Or would have, but I'll call it quits now....I've never seen a program go political and not feel the need to continue, especially after all the "oh, how brave" comments from people who never, ever, ever stop being political for one single second. You'll start playing to them now.

I was enjoying it also until the ignorant anti gun rhetoric. I appears that easy to obtain facts and common sense were to far to go. Show stopped be fun and became maximum ignorance. Unsubscribed. Encouraged others to do the same. Good bye guys. Sorry to have to do it. Hope you wake up one day, I really mean that. Tomm from Washington. PS I still wish you well. Gun people are mean and malicious, we just can't support those who through the lack of understanding try to rape is of our right to protect ourselves and family.

As a person who loves history and has researched so much of it from a medical perspective I am saddened to see you are still so un smart, so un understanding, so, no I can't not say it. How you are so damned stupid? A simple look at history will show you and anyone else that there has always been more ways to kill, injure and hurt humans than to heal and help. Humans have always and will always kill, hurt and injure each other. Before guns, there were knives, before knives there were rocks, before rocks there were bare hands. I would much prefer if people who have a forum to encourage valid discussions of problems in society would do so by choosing the correct things to complain about. Guns, knives, rocks etc are not the problem. It is the people behind the guns, knives, rocks who choose to use them to hurt, kill and injure others that are the problem, not the weapons. Try to remember that the next time you are trying to perform a healing function by using a scalpel. Remember anyone can use that same scalpel to kill, hurt and injure a person. People should be responsible for what they do and for what they fail to do. Consequences should be taught. Let us try to remember to teach others how to fish, not just supply others with a fish.

I do enjoy your podcast as a fellow medical professional. Your research is very through and enjoyable. Yet know you dropped the research ball on the last minutes of the episode. Yes the CDC was ordered to stop research into gun violence the reason for this was that the CDC stated they wanted to ban guns from citizens. Do you think that would mess with results of the research due to bias. It would be no different is a antivaccine adovcate working at the CDC and doing research on vaccines.

I do not understand how the "assault weapons" ban was effective at stopping gun violence. After the ban gun violence continue to decrease source FBI. Even though those rifles are the most popular in the USA. The amount of people killed with those firearms its less then a 100 a year. they are lumped in to all long gun statics like shotgun, bolt action, etc. Why did you not research the topic of assault weopons like you usually do?

As a medical professional I know the complexities of the act of suicide. If this was a gun problem then or countries that have higher suicide rates would be have higher firearms rate. Yet this is not the case. Japan has a higher suicide rate yet it is practically impossible to own a gun. In south korea pesticide is the most used way to commit suicide. In the USA women use pills to hurt themselves. People that commit suicide will use what ever is available with it be a tall building, sharp object, chemicals, rope, gun or anything else.

There is research being done in the field of gun violence. Look up John Lott. You can look at the results that gun control as done massacres in gun free zones. Most hospitals are Gun free zones yet I do not see the evidence passed practice of those signs keeping guns out. In my experience they only keep the law abiding disarmed and ripe for massacre.

Just something of the top of my head If you would like to have a discussion more about it I can be contacted saver_mind@yahoo.com

So, overall really good show. I usually prickle at this topic since I am a broad supporter of the second amendment and a seasoned veteran of firearms, but your show did finally put something into perspective for me that I thought I would share. As far as looking at this topic scientifically, I would advocate this is more a study of social behavior rather than a delivery method of violence. We should absolutely have a conversation about guns, bullets, laws, and society, and I understand fearing something you don't understand especially when that thing is an inanimate object. So here is what I would advise listeners to do. Go to a gun show, ask questions, go to a shooting range and learn how a gun works and how to use it and please don't think that the NRA is the only organization that has an agenda. Both sides on this issue have made missteps, but educate yourself so that you can create your own opinion.

I will tell you from my time in the service that the United States is unique in our access to firearms, so we do have a responsibility to make sure firearms are treated with the caution and respect they deserve.

Greatly enjoyed this one - emotive and educational! I wanted to just add that one of the more interesting cases in the long development of gunshot wound treatment is the attempted assassination of President James Garfield - who spent many months in agony as a cavalcade of doctors tried and failed to remove the bullet lodged in his back. Alexander Graham Bell, the "inventor" (i.e. dirty rotten thief) of the telephone, even tried to use a metal detector of his own design to find the bullet's exact location - forgetting that the president was on a metal table.

It would be interesting if you could talk about that case in future. But if you don't that's fine too, I'm just glad the show is still continuing.

"It's been approved for a year and a half on the battlefield and now a new device is approved for use in civilian ERs, too. The Food and Drug Administration has approved wider use of the XSTAT 30 wound dressing.

The syringe-shaped device shoots little sponges into the wound. They expand to fill the space and stop the bleeding for up to four hours - until a surgeon can get to work."

Today at my monotonous job I was enjoying the gun wound episode of Sawbones. On my podcast App there's an option to listen to the recording at various speeds. I tried out .5 normal speed and it was a riot! Y'all sounded hammered! Especially when we went to the billing department for wine! It's hilarious give it a try! Thank you for making my day once again! Best Regards, Barb the varnisher

I just wanted to say that I was really impressed with your address of gun violence and the lack of research on it at the end of this episode. What you advocated was very measured and pragmatic, but it was also brave of you two (though it really shouldn't be). I hope that you don't catch too much flack from the impassioned defenders of our national ignorance on the topic.

have you been trained on gun safety and proper handling of guns if not why are you giving advice to patients on such. as a physician what other issues are you willing to discuss with patients and give advice on that you have no training on

unfortunate inaccuracies in gunshot wound show. Gun violence in America is on the decline for the past 20 years while gun ownership is skyrocketing. If you are for the scientific analysis of this issue you should look past the propaganda at the actual facts.1990s study showing gun ownership increased your likelihood of being a gunshot victim has been wholy debunked.

The "flu vaccine" for gunshots is armor (and, if you extend this to violence in general, awareness and preparedness). Not pacifism. Pacifism would be more like trying to eradicate the disease from the wild than a vaccine. Unquestionably more effective but probably not as cost-effective.

From the point of view of a health provider, your position is very understandable; It would be like trying to ban smoking tobacco on health grounds. While it would (if perfectly enforced, which neither drug prohibition or gun prohibition has ever been) improve health, it would also be a paternalistic overriding of the rights of individuals.

Here is perhaps a superior suggestion, combining the benefits of your suggestion without making people weaker:

Bravo bravo bravo!
I'm utterly impressed that you took this stand, and I think it was brave and necessary. I hope you get a lot of support for this.
For what it's worth, I am an American living in Denmark. In the cities, small towns or out in the country, it wouldn't even cross my mind to worry about being shot. Because as you advocate, Denmark has stricter gun laws, and people don't generally shoot each other.